June 20th, 2025Artists of the Central Highlands with Eve Lamb
Whimsical, powerful and fantastical are just a few of the words that spring to mind on viewing the work of Glenlyon sculptural ceramicist Rowena Hannan. This ceramics artist draws on classic mythology, folklore, legend, spirituality and the natural world as she creates highly engaging and original pieces that capture the imaginations of all fortunate enough to see them. Rowena has her Clayscape studio in the bushland just out of Glenlyon and will be among the artists represented in the upcoming Little Gallery Winter Show, a fundraising favourite on Trentham’s annual arts calendar set to open from July 11.
Eve: Your work is quite remarkable, all sorts of flights of fancy. What inspires you?
Rowena: I’m interested in responding to the environment which I’m in and also personal history. A lot of my earlier work has a bit of a religious context to it and I’m interested in story-telling. Mythologies, stories of Greek mythology. Stories of the Christian saints, Pagan stories…when we moved up here I began responding more to the environment. My work started evolving, looking at the spirituality in the natural environment. Some of the pieces, like these Kangaroo Girls, are also a bit about play too. Sometimes my children tell me my work is scary, but it’s just that whole idea of putting on masks. They’re not animals. They’re not humans. They’re somewhere in-between. The face is more about the spirit.
Eve: How long have you been here now? Why did you choose here?
Rowena: We bought the (bushland) property about nine years ago now. I always wanted to have somewhere around the area. I wanted to have a treed block and wanted to build a garden. And it’s just such a lovely community too. I grew up in Williamstown and then lived in Yarraville.
Eve: You have also travelled.
Rowena: Yes. I really wanted to do residencies, work in a studio, absorb the culture, and I spent a month in Vallauris, the French medieval town revived in the 1950s through Picasso coming to the area. It’s famous for its ceramics. All of those beautiful pots that he did came out of the Madoura pottery there.
I went to a symposium years ago in China and I spoke on how you can teach spatial awareness through ceramic education. I had a professional scholarship through the school I was working at. So that was pretty exciting and I think that really opened my eyes to what was out there. I met lots of ceramic artists from around the world. Some I’m still in contact with which is really lovely. That sort of lit the flame, really. Now that I’ve retired from full-time teaching it’s allowing me to do some things that I previously couldn’t do. This year, in a couple of months, I’m lucky enough to be going to Barcelona.
Eve: What will you be doing there and for how long?
Rowena: I’m working at the Taller Gingell Foundation. They offer a residency where they give you a studio and an apartment in the middle of Barcelona. I’ll be working there looking at Art Nouveau architecture and responding to that. I’ll be there for five weeks.
Eve: And you’ve previously worked full-time as a teacher.
Rowena: I was head of art at Firbank Grammar for about eight, nine years. I taught there for 23 years. Then I went to Korowa Anglican Girls’ School and was head of art there. I still exhibited. I exhibit every two years. My last exhibition was in Fitzroy. But it takes a bit longer to get a body of work done when you’re actually teaching.
Eve: I understand you are still teaching.
Rowena: Yes and I love it. Clayscape is the name of the studio space here and on Monday mornings I teach a nine-week course called Constructing the Figure and Form. It’s a really lovely group and a lovely way to start the week.
Eve: Do you have any exhibitions or other special events coming up ahead?
Rowena: Yes. I usually have work at Stony Creek Gallery in Daylesford, and I will be exhibiting some work as part of the upcoming Winter Show at Little Gallery in Trentham. One of the people there encouraged me to apply and I was really chuffed. I’m looking forward to it.
